January Frugaleers thread brings no judgment just friendly banter & advice for like minded folk

[Happierwithouthim]

A place where all are welcome regardless of income, level of debt or reason for being in debt or debt free.

We're friendly, full of good advice and open to new ideas where to shave off expense and how to live your best life on the income you have.

Over the years we've celebrated debt payoffs, babies, leaving jobs, getting different jobs, bonuses, and we've been there for each other through difficult times.

New posters welcome always & I hope posters who have fallen off thread will rejoin too

Thank you so much @kessiebird
I will plod on here and try to find a fix . I wanted to go to Octopus tbh because my DD2 uses them and recommends them but they require us to use a smart meter and DH is totally against them because of all the trouble they have been .
So it's back to the drawing
board for me today 😁
Have a lovely day everyone.

Yikes life but will you love your home then?

I'm happy in the home but don't and still won't love the garden. It's the compromise as DH loves it

Great news on fixing energy. It is quite confusing trying to compare tariffs

£11 Sainsbury's yesterday on washing powder & smoothie mix

life I watched a similarly-sized savings pot dwindle last year with various renovations and financial arrangements concluded. It felt good to do it, and now I'm at the foothills of the saving mountain again! Enjoy the results of your reno, sounds great.

psuedo - brilliant that this thread is helping you! I find it good for keeping on track - a lot of the financial/motivational podcasts and channels I listen to say it's important to find your tribe - surrround yourself with people who help you, and this thread is that for me, too.

Very nice day with Dmum yesterday. She bought the make-up she needed, and identified some clothes to order. It was very quiet, and the sales assistants had time to help her, it was relaxed and fun. I found a pair of sunglasses - £30, fit me very well, UV protection compliant. In The White Company - I was not expecting that as I was stroking the Siberian goose feather pillows covetously. I have been trying to find a decent, inexpensive pair of shades for about 4 years, to no avail. So, between my haircut, my new shades, Netflix, and an eyebrow gel thingy, most of my guilt-free spends for this month have already been accounted for. Oh well! keep on doing the Prolific surveys. DS found £20 at the weekend, in the street, and is getting a haircut with his booty - maybe the same will happen to me!

All savings and investment pots allocated yesterday. Book group meets today. Forecast lovely for the week, so I might actually pay the back garden some attention.

NSD yesterday for me and even got a free packet of biscuits at work so that was my snack covered!
DD unwell today so after a trip to the Dr it was £4.75 in Tesco for ice lollies to go with the medicine (Dr actually told me to buy them!) and butter to make some cookies this afternoon with little one to make her smile.
£36 on yoga as I pay monthly and that's my one thing that's just for me.
Got given a very small but very welcome bonus at work so I'm thinking to split it in half and pay off some credit card and put towards an emergency fund too.
Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine!
Absolutely beautiful here. Although I'm like others and hoping I don't start spending on garden things. Although I do need compost to start planting vegetable seeds soon.
Likewise, I'm finding this chat very good for being accountable and have loved finding my people, thank you all.

NSD today yay!
Garden bench is superb ☺️ very pleased with it DH put it together strong and sturdy excellent quality thank God 😊

Two very low spend days!

Couple of essential toiletries £2 and a bowl as I broke my work bowl £1.25
And then two days groceries £10
I've found Aldi recently!

A week post surgery! Had a check up. Everything is looking good. Hooray!!

spends today £184 next online. Jeans. About 8 pairs. In various colours and styles and leg lengths. Will more than likely only keep 2 pairs.

£2.75 coffee at hospital cafe.

Bought a new, boring plain black, rucksack (£40) for work.

RESISTED hitting Vinted for Jellycat keyrings to hang off it! Will get one (or two) on my first payday which I found out today is on March 31st.

Great new @ememem84. Glad the garden bench has worked out @MaryGreenhill

i feel my dads saying is coming through. €80 on wood stain and supplies to paint our fence and gates. They are gone very green.

€61.50 in dunnes on runners for the child as one pair isn’t enough, and some storage boxes and the real impulse purchase of an over door towel organiser and storage thingy. If it’s not amazing it’s going back. The other items had been in my cart for a couple of weeks so don’t feel so bad.

fingers crossed I can do a NSD tomorrow

Where did you get the garden bench from Mary?

Nsd yesterday as frankly had zero time
Good to hear you are healing well em

Ours isa lovely thread

Mmm, sunshine again. Have just placed an order for Dmum's clothes, experiencing the vicarious thrill of shopping for someone else!

First haircut since November for me this morning, very much looking forward to getting this hair (well, an inch and half) off my head!

At the theatre with DH tonight, Oedipus at the Old Vic. Will make a healthy chicken salad to take for us to eat beforehand - saving calories and cash. DH has hit his weight loss target, and is keen to give himself a bit of wiggle room. He hasn't been at this weight in six years, and has achieved it in six weeks with the life-changing magic of NOT EATING SO MUCH!!! it is the inescapable fact that confronts all of us on diets, alas, and will be my reality when I start on the same regime after Easter.

Frugal mis-step: bloody Bosch dishwasher is not filling again - the E15 error code. This is the second time in less than a year, and possibly the third time since we bought it. It's a crappy, small, integrated one, and just not up to the job, basically, but until we completely redo the kitchen, it's the only kind we have space for. We'll wash up by hand for now, and leave the repair until next month; but I'm making a note to include a large, non-integrated dishwasher in the new design, with bespoke cabinetry to conceal it if need be.

@life this is the bench it came a day early , £114.99 delivery included from Amazon . DH put it together in about 2 hours on his own . He had to put a couple of different screws in the holes because they wouldn't fit but apart from that we are very pleased. It's very sturdy and no maintenance at all.

I've fallen off the frugal wagon big time, I'm on day 15 of covid. I know I did a lot of internet shopping, because things keep arriving, I seem to have ordered an entire navy and grey smart/casual capsule wardrobe. Sadly its all really nice, fits well and is comfortable, and I want to keep it. Bank balance is still ok though, due to the lack of council tax. Not great, but ok. Its still in the black. Oh and because I was feeling so rough, I ordered a load of M&S meals for DH to prepare from Ocado. Bit of a waste for me as I couldn't taste much, but DH said they were really nice. I know I should feel guiltier than I do, but guilt takes energy so thats not happening either.

Shopping today £14 Primark , 2 Hello Kitty bag sets half price in the sale.
£5 charity shop for 2 BNWT nightdresses. Bon Marche for Mum and Tu for me. Lidl £36 including a sandwich toaster for DD2 and Drill bits for DH .
Beautiful day here ❤️

That bench may or may not be in my basket now.

Garden being finished next week. Will this phase
£28 Sainsbury's but £10 was 2 t shirts. That have shrunk ahem
Nothing to do with me getting fatter

Hope you like it @lifelongfrugaleer 😁 if you do get it ,
whoever puts it together for you or yourself , will need to fiddle with the screws and the holes they go in if it's anything like ours . The holes are not the right size and the screws need swapping.
As long as you are aware it's a bit fiddly. We are very happy with it despite those problems 😁

I'll likely put it together then as DH will just swear lots

Managed to have a pretty low cost week so far but having a terrible day mentally at work so I've come for a neros at lunch time to clear my mind and have some space.
Think this weekend might be a bit costly as I'm having my hair done on Sunday £85ish and have a eyebrows wax booked too. Can't wait to be tamed. Toddler free time with my kindle and book. Lush.
Also need to reorder my weight loss injections too 😭 🫰 and a few bits and bobs from the shops.
All budgeted for but it makes me feel sad these days when I have to spend money 😆
Husband asked if I fancies a takeaway I said no - I have no self control though so wouldn't be surprised if that happens tonight.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

NSD for me today thankfully 😊
Although DH went to Aldi and bought a garden clock 🤣 £7.99
TBF our original clock had died a death and needed putting out of its misery .
He has just put it up and it is nice to have a working clock in the garden again .

I’m now reminded that our garden clock doesn’t work anymore😂

NSD yesterday and €57 in Lidl today for groceries. Made the mistake of going before lunch so some treats did jump in there but I do think going more regularly is making me buy less overall.

ill have to get bread for school lunches at the weekend but shouldn’t need much else.

Love the clock Mary

Mixed fortunes here. Last month spent £££ on a Ring Doorbell. Was questioning my sanity on such an expensive doorbell. However today when eBay sent me an empty bag instead of a hair colour I got a refund due to proof it was empty from the ring doorbell footage! Apology and £15.95 refund.

Got a new strap and charger for my MI band for £7 so saved about £30 there.

Last night I got a lovely top from George £18 as I have a yearly work event tomorrow and I always wear the same things.

Quick food shop was £22.54 from Lidl. Need to look in the freezer and plan that to last over the weekend. Today has only been £5.90 for chips and a drink from a cafe while DD does her activity.

Evening.

Sorry to hear about the mental stress at work @ChipshopPickledEgg. Hope the coffee and space helped. Enjoy some you time,

Hope you feel better soon @Nellieinthebarn

Like the bench!

Not a huge amount spent and we are having a quiet weekend coming up.
£12 Boots on toiletries
£33 food top up.

Leftover lamb curry for tea for DH and DS, chickpea curry for myself and DD.

Hope tomorrow is a better day chipshop and enjoy the pampering.